Developers ask why they should ‘bother’ making Xbox games anymore Michael Beckwith Published May 9, 2025 12:06pm Updated May 9, 2025 12:06pm Halo on PlayStation was once laughable but it’s all too plausible nowadays (Xbox) Microsoft’s gradual abandonment of Xbox exclusives has other studios ‘baffled’, as a report suggest they’re considering dropping support for the format. Even though Microsoft began shifting away from Xbox exclusives over a year ago now, it’s still strange seeing its games make the jump to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. It’s one thing for the new Indiana Jones game to go multiplatform, but we now live in a world where long running Xbox exclusive franchises like Forza Horizon and Gears Of War are jumping to PlayStation (with potentially even Halo to follow). While making games more widely available is a good thing for consumers, some developers and publishers are reportedly not as thrilled with Microsoft’s strategy. Some are apparently so concerned they’re wondering why they bother making Xbox games in the first place. This is according to Chris Dring of The Game Business, who said in a recent podcast (from the 19:10 mark) that he’s heard certain companies express frustration that Microsoft has given up on making Xbox exclusives. ‘Certain publishers and developers have spoken to me, like, baffled by this because from their point of view they want the competition in the console space,’ explained Dring. ‘They’re going ‘Why should we even bother making an Xbox game if this is the strategy?’, that’s a balance that Microsoft’s going to have to strike.’ Dring doesn’t specify if any of the developers he spoke with belong to studios owned by Microsoft, but the current trajectory could certainly lead to less Xbox releases from third party studios. This would not be that surprising considering Microsoft has given up on trying to push Xbox hardware. Console sales keep declining and they’re unlikely to increase now that Microsoft has raised prices across the board, for both games and hardware. Plus, according to analyst data from Ampere (as shared on The Game Business’ X account), the PlayStation platform’s active player base has significantly grown over the last two years. By the end of 2024, Sony increased the gap with Xbox by an additional 10 million active users. So it’s no wonder there are so few Xbox exclusives nowadays, with none planned for the rest of the year. Microsoft did launch Avowed and South Of Midnight as Xbox console exclusives this year, but as Microsoft has previous intimidated, that is probably only because they’re by smaller studios that didn’t initially plan a PlayStation 5 version as part of the project. So, from a developer’s perspective, why spend the time and resources on two versions of a game (technically three because of the Xbox Series S) if the overwhelming majority of your player base is on PlayStation? Companies are still attracted to the Xbox Game Pass service, since it can increase a game’s visibility and Microsoft pays for day one deals, but if not that for that we might already have seen support for Xbox consoles being to fade away. More Trending However, back in 2023, Microsoft was forced to admit that when games are added to Game Pass, traditional sales are often cannibalised, especially for newer releases. None of this means third party Xbox games will vanish overnight, but smaller titles, and those not well suited to the Xbox audience, are likely to be the first to drop support, as already seen with some niche Japanese and indie titles. Little is known about the next gen Xbox aside from Microsoft’s claim that it’ll be the ‘biggest technological leap ever in a generation’; a claim that many suspect relates to AI. Images of an interim portable console leaked earlier this week, confirming suspicions that Microsoft has partnered with Asus (which has its own gaming handheld, the Asus ROG Ally). Would you buy an Xbox handheld? (FCC) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy